Improvement in middlings-purifiers



v 4Sheets--SheetL G. & E. WALKER.

Middlngs-Purers. ,No.mg 099. Patented March 3,1874.

' LlSheets--Sheei'Z` G. E. WALKER. Middlings?urers.

Pale ntredlMarch 3,1874.

4 Sheets--Sheet 3.

E.' & E. WALKER. Middlings-Puriiers.

Patented March 3,1874.

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$.81 E. WALKER. Middlngs-Purifiers.

Patented March 3, 1874.-

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N'IED STATES GEORGE 'WALKER AND EDWIN WALKER, or HAMBURG, NEwvoEK.

IMPROVEMENT IN IVlIDDLlNGS-PURIFIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.148,099, dated March 3, 1874; application led January 7, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:`

Be it known that we, GEORGE WALKER and EDWIN WALKER, both of Hamburg, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Middlings- Puriers, of which the following is a specification:

Our invention consists in the novel `construction and arrangement and operation of various devices in one machine, by which iiour, middlin gs, and oft'al are separated and entirely freed from dust, fiber, and other impurities, ready for regrinding, all `to be hereinafter explained.

In the drawings, Figure lis a central sectional view through the entire machine. Fig. 2 is side elevation; Figf, perspective of the shaking hopper; Fig. 4, end elevation; Fig. 5, sectional view of opposite end; Fig. 6, topplan view with cover or casing removed; Figs. 7 and S, detail views.

A A is the outside frame-work, with supplementary pieces bolted to the frame to support the working machinery. B is the receiving-hopper, and is at the same time a distril uting feedingshaker. (See Figsa and 6.) It is hung on links a a, (see Fi. 4,) and has an upward forward and downward backward motion imparted to it by a bell-crank or its equivalent, b, and connected to a crank-pin or an eccentric by a connectingrod, c. Across the inside of this shoe is swung a hinged valve, d, Figs. 3 and 6, for spreading and leveling the'middlings evenly across the shoe, by pressing on the same when the shoe is in motion. The end of this shoe is cut oi' at a long angle,

to discharge the iniddlings in a wide, think sheet. The bottom of the shoe, from the valve d to the edge, is corrugated parallel with its length and direction of motion, to prevent the stud' from sliding toward either side. C is a shaking separator, for the purpose of separating from the good stuft' the oiial before sittin g or bolting, and occupying the middle portion of the machine. This operates in connection with a vacuum-blast from the fan D, and a revolving, disintegrating, cylindrical brush E, (see Figs. l and 8,) to be hereinafter described. The separator is constructed with outer walls or boards e and inner board e, with an airspuce,f, between, and sliding gates or valves,

lThis vacuumchamber Gr is formed of an inverted box or cover, with a valve, I, Fig. l. By opening said valve, more or less air is admitted to the vacuum-chamber, a-nd thereby the force of the air in the passages in the separator is graduated properly. There is also an adjust-able valve, I', just under the cover of the box. By turning said valve more or less, the force of the air in the air-passage m and o 1s graduated. In the separator are arranged two series of level, or nearly level, shelves or steps,h and h3, the latter terminating in an inclined plane, j, which Aleads into the head ot' the sieve E, the former, h, terminating just over the brush. Another series of bent partitions, h1 and h4, their upper part formed into level, or nearly level, shelves, are also arranged in the separa-tor, the latter, h4, series terminating in an inclined plane, i, with an outwardlyopenin g valve, 7i', for the escape of the heavier parts of the oft'al. All these extend across the entire width of the separator between the inner wall e e. The openings m m', between steps h1 and h4, diminish gradually in size from the bottom to the top, so that the draft of air may increase in velocity and strength as it ascends, for the purpose of more effectually carrying the heavier particles of ottal up into the vacuumehamber G above, where, by reason ot' the enlarged space, and consequent diminished motion of the air, the denser particles fall onto the shelves h1 ht over the passages m and m', and by the peculiar shaking motion of the separator they are carried forward and precipitated down the inclined plane i, where they accumulate against the valve 7s till the pressure is sufticient to partially open the valve and allow it to discharge from the machine, while the lighter portions of the oft'al are drawn into the fan I), Figs. l and 6, situated in the upper part of the vacuum-cham ber G, as shown, or in any otherv suitable place, and blown out into a dust-room or other place of deposit through an opening, a. o o',

air-passages between shelves h and h3. At

ENIGE.

the end of the rst series of shelves h h, in the shaking vacuum-blast sepa-rater C, is placed the revolving disintegrating cylindrical brush E, or its equivalent, Figs. l and S, revolving in a concave, H, lined with wire-eloth, `or otherwise roughening the concave, so as to more effectually detach the adhering liber and dust from the granules of the middlin gs. The wire-cloth p (see Fig. S) is extended to some distance beyond the solid concave backing to separate and arrest the force of the sheet of middlings as it leaves the brush and falls on shelvesh. The shaking separator C is suspended on inclined links q q, (see Fig. 2,) which -hang on eccentric pins in the side beams of the frame or ot-her convenient places. This separator is driven by two eccentrics, r r, one near either end of shaft J, (see Figs. 2 and 4,) connected by rods or bars K K, arranged as near as may be in the direction of motion of the separator, the suspending-links causing the separator` to vibrate in inclined arcs of circles, with an upward forward and a down` ward backward motion, which causes the middlings falling on the shelves to move forward. To more effect-ually clean the middlings, &c., we use the sieve F, set in a shaking box, L, and secured to the ends of the same, but resting 011 rubber orl other springs s s, which aid in the vibrations of the sieve. The rubber springs are notched into said end pieces. The sieve is fastened by screws at each end, which pass through rubber pads. To prevent the sieve from clogging, we use' one or more rappers, t t-one either side of the sieveand which may be arranged to strike either on the top or bottom of the side pieces of the sieve to jar the same. They are attached to a shaft, w, extending across the separator, and moving with it, one end projecting out, and formed into a slotted erankarm, u. This is attached by a pin to a slotted swinging adjustable arm, M, pivoted to the frame-work outside. This will be adjusted by a set-screw, o, so as to place the pin in any pa-rt of the slot in the crank-arm to control the vibrations, and thereby graduate the f'orce of the strokes of the rappers on the sieve. The shaking sieve-box L is divided longitudinally in three compartments, w 001222. The two latter have bottoms Z, on whichv the sifted middlings are conveyed to openings, and from thence, by spouts, 85e., to the stones for regrinding. There is an upper conducting-bottom, Z l', in each side division, having openings with slides y y, Figs. l, 2, and 5, for the purpose of cutting off and grading the sifted middlings, the coarser and more impure parts of which are discharged through the passages into the screw-conveyer N N, and conveyed from thence into the elevator O 0, Figs. 2 and 4, fromwhich they are discharged into the feed-shoe and returned to be reseparated. Vhen either ot' the slides y y are drawn, all the middlings fallil'lg through are discharged to be. reground. The bran and other coarse stuff fall over the tail of the sieve. The middle division .r of the shaking passages between the slats z z, is to admit airunder the sieve, which, being detlected'partially downward and `outward both ways,

passes through the sifted middlings, with a gentle horizontal current, as they fall from the sieve, and carrying away fiber or light dust that may not have been taken out by the upper separators, up through the passages f f, into the vacuum-chamber G, and from thence into the lfan-box, and from which they are blown out of the machine.

This shaking box and sieve carrier L is moved as follows: It is suspended by screws or pins in the upperv ends of inclined links P P, which swing on pins in parallel bars Q Q, which bars are, in turn, suspended by pins in links P P, which are hung on pins in the back side of the bolster-s RR. These links P are elongated downward, having a roller or crossbar extending under the box L, and uniting them together. In or near the center of this cross-bar is a long rod or handle, S, projecting beyond the frame A, and resting in a notch in a beam of the frame-work, or other place, where it may-be fastened at any point, and thus graduate the movement of the sieve-box, Ste., giving it a greater or less curvilinear forward and upward movement, and vice versa backward. The object of this is to throw the middlings forward with more or less rapidity on the sieve to graduate the siftin O'. T T are two connecting-bars, pivoted at one end to sieve-box L, and attached at the other end to an eccentric, r, on shaft J, operated by pulley U, which also operates the connecting-rod c, which moves the Vshaking shoe B by means of the bent crank b, as before explained. A belt runs from this pulley U to the fan-pulley V, and a belt, 4, runs from pulley WV on fan-shaft to the brush-pulley X, and operates the same.

The elevator is operated by a belt, Y, on a pulley on fan-shaft to a pulley on the elevatorshaft. A reel may be used in connection with this purifier or not, as may be desired.`

The operation of the whole machine is as follows: The unpuried middlings are received either in the return-conveyer at the bottom of the machine and conveyed, along with the returns, into the elevator, and elevated to the feeding-shoe, or they may be received into the feeding-shoe direct from the bolt, and in either case discharged therefrom in a wide, thin sheet across the upper shelf of the first series of shelves in the shaking separator, from thence are carried forward by the combined action of the airdraft and shaking motion ofthe separator, and fall from one shelf to another, being at the same time subjected to the action of gentle currents of air as they fall and are shaken along on the shelves, by which means the most of the fiber and other light impurities not adherin g tenaciousl y to the granules of middlin gs are separated therefrom and carried forward and upward through the first series of bent airpassages into the eXh aust-chamber G above, while the middlings pass along and fall onto the cylindrical brush,which whips them around in thedisintegrating-concave, and discharges them through and'beyond the concave wire screen, which extends beyond the solid concave bed, from which they fall, with diminished velocity, in a diffused shower, onto the first of the second series of shelves, with the previously-adherin g ber and dust disintegrated therefrom, so that the various air-currents to which they are subjected, in shaking along on and falling off' from one shelf to another, will most effectually separate and carry the remaining light impurities away from the good middlings, up through the second series of bent shelves and converging air-passages into the exhaustchamber G above, where the denser particles of oi'al from both series fall into the 'upper shelves, and are, by the combined action of the Vair-currents and the peculiar shaking motion of the separator, carried along and dropped from one shelf to another till they descend the inclined plane at the tail of the separator and pass out under the valve from the machine, while the purified middlings pass along from shelf to shelf and down the lower inclined plane j, from which they fall onto the head of the sieve, through which they pass, falling in a greatlydiffused and gentle manner therefrom, through the air-currents from the lower slats z z, onto the bottoms of the shaking box L, which propel them along, discharging the purest and best into a spout or other receptacle, to be conducted to the stones to be reground, the coarsest and most impure passing into the returnconveyer N, from which they enter the bottom of the return-elevator, and pass up and empty into the distributing feeding-shoe, along with the new niiddlings to be reseparated, while the dust and fiber separated therefrom by the air-currents below the sieve are drawn up through the side passages ff, between the sides c c of the sieve and sievecarrier L, and between the sides of the upper shaking separator, and are discharged into the exhaust-chamber G, from which the lightest part of it is drawn into the fan and discharged therefrom. The bran passes over the tail of the sieve.

The object of the shaking separator with the series of shelves is to carry the middlings forward and drop them, through several short falls, from shelf to shelf, so as to subject them, while being agitated by the shaking motion thereof, and falling from one to another with little ve locity, to the action of numerous currents of air, which thereby more effectually separate all light impurities from the middlings, and carry them up into the exhaust-chamber, and also into the fan, as before stated; and, further, to convey the middlings from the head of the separator to the opposite end of the machine to discharge them onto the head of the sieve, which extends nearly or quite the Thev sifted iniddlings are also subjected to u the action of the airvcurrents through the central longitudinal slats z z in the compartments x1 .r2 asthey fall from the sieve, and also ,while being shaken along on the bottoms ZI. of

the box L. They are also subjected to the action of aircurrents while being shaken along on the sieve, which raises and carries any very light dust that may rise from the sieve up through the shelves in the separator, tothe exhaustchamber above. l,

There may be open inclined slats 2f z in one side of the boX'L, that carries the sieve, instead of in the center, as shown, admitting air to pass across under the sieve, and carry dust up, through a passage in the opposite side, into the exhaust-chamber.

It will be readily seen that, by these combinations and arrangements, the middlings are subject to the action of air-currents from the time they leave the distributing-shoe till their final exit from the machine in a perfect state.

The sieve is set level, so as ,to make a saving of height in the machine, and a simpler construction. The cloth on the sieve is coarser at the tail than at the head. The brush E is used solely to disintegrate the middlings, and not for any other purpose. The valve 7o has a flexible apron or bushing attached inside, and y protruding downward beyond the valve itself,

and beyond the incline t' and outside `of the opening. This is to prevent air from entering in as the offal is being discharged.

The valves g g perform three functions by their peculiar construction and combination with the walls c e. They graduate the openings of the air-passages f f; also, closethe opening between the walls c and the sides of the inverted cover of the vacuum-chamber G; also, from the inclination of the upper part, sheds the offal, over the inside e', onto the shelves h1 h4.

We are aware that af stationary tapering feed-board is not new, but such is not our in vention.

We claiml. The movable feeding and distributing shoe B, constructed with a tapering end, as described, to distribute the contents in a wide sheet, as herein set forth.

2. The movable feeding and distributing shoe B, having a corrugated bottom, and constructed as described, to deliver the contents in a wide sheet, in combination with a valve,

d., for spreading the middlings, substantially as specified. y

3. The double walls c c and air-space f f, with valves or sliding gates g g, constructed and arranged substantially in the manner and for the purposes specified.

4. The shaking separator O, with the double walls e c', air-space ff, and valve g g, the whole suspended on links q q, and operated by eccentric bars K K and eccentric r r, on shaft J, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

5. In a moving separator, C, the series of shelves and bent partitions la h1 h3 h4, and inclined planes i j, and air-spaces m m 0 c', as and for the purpose specified.

'6. The combination of the movable separator G and shelves 7a and h3 with the revolving disintegrating-brush E, concave H, and fan D, as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination of the lengthened wirecloth p with the cylindrical brush E and concave H, substantially as described, for the object set forth.

8. The shaft J, havin eccentrics 1" and links K and T, connected to the shaking separator C, and vibrating sieve -boX L, all constructed and combined so that the separator and sievebox receive a simultaneous motion from the shaft, substantially as described.

9. The shaking` sieve-box L, in combination with Jthe links P P P P', parallel bars Q Q, and lever S, arranged and operating,` substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. In a movable box, L, the combination of the sieve F, the separating-slats z z, the longitudinal divisions x :v1 x2, the-bottoms Z l', and slides y y, all arranged and operating` substantiallyas herein set forth.

1l. The rappers t t, in combination with the slotted crank-arm u, set-screw c, and swinging' adjust-able arm M, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof We have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing;

Witnesses.

GEO. WALKER. `EDWIN WALKER. Vitnesses J. R. BRAKE,

T. H. PARsoNs. 

